Reeling
by Yaoimelody
Summary: [Request. Kai/Cole.] After a nasty accident, how can Kai forgive himself for putting Cole's life in danger?


The fire ninja sprawled out onto the couch. He groped for the remote, finally finding it after enough time. Kai clicked it on, not caring just what he watched. He was focused on other things. Then something else started bothering his mind weakly.

He got up to go make cereal. That was a weak attempt to do anything productive. First, he poured the cheap cereal in the plastic bowl. The milk slowly spilled into the bowl, then as he got distracted it got everywhere else. The teen left the spill, taking his food back to the coffee table.

Wait, he needed a spoon. After that was retrieved, he sat down. He pulled the bowl in his lap, just in time for commercials. There was a happy couple driving and laughing. No, he was anything but ready to see that.

Sitting back in the couch, he ignored the soggy mess his flakes became. When the show started, he refused to stand that. The movie was about a couple in a car crash. Too soon, too soon.

He shut off the television, throwing the remote against the screen. It only clinked off, but he felt slightly less angry.

A sigh erupted from the entrance to the living room, and a female voice came soon after, "Kai, if you break that we can't afford to replace it."

"We can't replace Cole," growled the brunet, getting up in a defensive way. He got over to her, but he didn't raise a clenched fist.

Nya felt an arm awkwardly, watching the ground, "There's no guarantee he'll live, but he's a fighter, Kai."

She knew he was the driver that night. Cole and Kai had been talking one minute, then the next he woke up with a bad arm. It worked, but the winding, deep scars were there under his ninja kimono.

Cole was the one who got the brunt of that car ride. His legs would clearly never make it completely. With broken ribs, and a concussion that could come back anytime, the doctors kept the male there for awhile. There had been times where his heart monitor went flat, giving the others panic attacks from the calls, that were quickly changed to he was merely back in bad health.

Lou was just as bad as Kai was, but since he was family he got to stay there. Sadly, the hospital basically became like a second home.

The others were all there as well, but Kai was too ashamed to set foot in there.

Nya made a face as if she had read his current thoughts, "You have to visit him, Kai, it's not fair."

That was true. Wordlessly, he left the house. He was scared to even look at cars, so he trudged there. Nya drove right past, shooting him an unseen worried look. The hospital wasn't too far.

When he got there, Nya was waiting at the front entrance, going in besides him. She spoke to the nurse, and the new room number was given. Was that good? He followed her, still speechless at the moment. The hallways were rather quiet, besides low talking from closed doors.

At last they reached the end of the hallway. His younger sister peered into the room, then frowned. She then got happier surprisingly, fast walking to a glass door to the outside. There was a wide yard-like area. There was also Lou and... Cole!

All Kai cared about seeing was the wheelchair bound male, chatting with his stuttering father. The fire ninja was spotted, but Cole wasn't able to say anything as he nearly knocked back by an excited brunet. Slowly he hugged back. Until a hand hit the spiky head harshly.

Kai reeled back, pouting slightly, "Hey, what's your problem? I thought you'd be happy to see me!"

"After you didn't visit me once!" They watched each other, until they both felt tears well up. Once again hugging, Cole muttered against the uniform, "Yeah, I missed you too, idiot..." Some time after breaking apart, they found Lou trudging back to the inside, probably to give them space. The dark-haired teen looked up at his partner with a soft smile, "I'm getting out soon, maybe even today... I'll need this stupid thing until I learn to walk with prosthetics. Fun."

There was hope for Cole. Kai leaned so they were face-to-face, chuckling, "Or I could dote on you every day for the rest of our lives."

Cole didn't bother saying even if he never bothered to get fake lower legs he'd still be independant. It made his heart flare to know his lover meant it. He allowed himself to be wheeled back inside while he was getting used to this wheelchair. Might as well, he was still drowsy, and Kai was surprisingly the most trustworthy person he knew.


End file.
